Life is Good …let me tell you about it.

Day 10: Festa della Madonna della Salute

November 21

Today we woke up to the aqua alta sirens again. I think it’s just another part of the charm of Venice. It rained all day, so it was a little chilly, but not cold.
Today was the day of the Festa della Madonna della Salute. This holiday is in memory of the 1630 plague and the vow of the Doge to build a church called the Salute, and honor the Virgin Mary each year on November 21st if she would rid the city of the plague.

There was a candlelight procession from St. Mark’s, over a temporary pontoon bridge, to the Santa Maria della Salute Church. Inside the church mass was held, and people prayed and asked the Virgin Mary to keep them in good health.
There were thousands of people at the church. This is a serious holiday for the people of Venice, so although I wanted to be a part of it, I quietly stayed in the background.
Outside the church were stalls selling candles, and around the corner were stalls selling food. We bought some aroncini, pistachio cannoli’s and candied nuts.

Later, while exploring the Dorsoduro area we came upon a gondola repair shop. It was very interesting. I love strolling in this area because I get to see how the local people really live.

We walked to the Frari Church. It was so beautiful! It took us a long time to find it, but we were so glad we kept looking for it. I know every church has a statue of the Virgin Mary, but for some reason this one seemed special. I guess I’m not the only person that felt that way because there were so many flickering candles in front of this statue, I could feel the heat. I lit my own candle and said a prayer for my family.
We decided to purchase a cheap piece of luggage, because we were buying too much stuff to fit in our backpacks. We bought a large rolling suitcase for 25 euro. The plan was to check it on the flight home. It was cheaper than shipping and it wouldn’t take a month to get it.
We dropped of the luggage and went to the mask shop. We purchased two masks from Ca` Macana in Dorsoduro. We’d been looking for a few days and finally had to decide which ones we wanted, since tomorrow is our last day in Venice. The lady at the shop packed them very well, so they’d make the long flight home.
We went back to the room and packed our bags. We certainly needed the extra piece of luggage. After packing we went to dinner and bought a few pastries for a late night snack.

At 8:45 the sirens were sounding again. I’m going to miss this place…but I’ll be back.